Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to a method and apparatus for visualization of energy data.
Description of the Related Art
Use of distributed generators (DGs) to produce energy from renewable resources is steadily gaining commercial acceptance due to the rapid depletion of existing fossil fuels and the increasing costs of current methods of generating power. One such type of distributed generator is a solar power system. Solar panels within the solar power system are comprised of photovoltaic (PV) modules that convert solar power received into a direct current (DC). An inverter then converts the DC current from the PV modules into an alternating current (AC). The power generated by the solar power system may then be used to run appliances at a home or business, or may be sold to the commercial power company.
Variations in energy produced by the PV modules in a solar power system may be attributed to various causes such as variations in the inverters, PV module mismatch (i.e., variations in power output within the manufacturer's tolerance), PV module or inverter damage, or different insolation profiles for the PV modules. In some cases, differences in insolation profiles may be due to a cause that cannot be altered or fixed, such as an immovable obstruction shading a PV module. In other cases, differences in insolation profiles may be due to correctable causes, such as dust or dirt on the surface of a PV module. However, current monitoring systems do not provide an efficient way to assess system performance over time for rapidly determining performance issues so they can be addressed.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for providing energy data related to a DG in a readily understandable format for performance analysis of the DG.